My Heart Is Still With You
by just forget about it
Summary: Two lovestruck teenagers try everythign in their power to stay as friends..nothing more. Soon they find that their one true love has always been there in front of them. Troyella
1. Chapter 1

**yeah another story from me and this time i have everything planned out. This takes place around the end of their junior year and into summer vacation. yeah i want this story to run on the line of HSM2 like the country club they work at but its kinda different, with my spin to it. hmmm...i might change the rating for this story if i feel that its necessary. how you like the story and please please please review!**

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**Chapter 1:**

She sighed as she tossed another hand of pebbles into the stream at the edge of the garden, The summer sun was warm in the sky and it beat a warm heat onto her exposed back of her gold coloured dress, stitched two sizes too tight around the bodice – causing her breath to hitch every time she inhaled.

Deep in concentration she didn't hear her friend approaching her as she sat on the warm grass looking into the murky depths of the flowing water,

"Gabriella…yo ho, Gabriella?"

Taylor called as she stood beside her seated friend and looked on with an amused smile, watching the playful way the pebbles hit the surface and sunk.

"We're wanted up at the house, the wedding is about to start!"

Gabriella nodded in response to what she said and when she finally dispersed of all the small intricate stones, did she reluctantly look up.

"Taylor, what is to going to happen of us all now?"

Seeing the look on Gabriella's face full of questions, her new friend gingerly sat herself down beside her, spreading the folds of her own gold dress out as she spoke,

"You mean now that we're about to graduate?"

Gabriella nodded looking out across the stream to the far bank where she saw two butterflies in mating flight, dance around each other in the age-old ritual of summer and procreation.

"Everything is so mixed up now. We were all close before…but now…"

She closed her eyes trying not to remember all the wonderful times she spent while in East High. True they still had months to graduation. But to Gabriella, it seemed much more closer than ever. The musical, the championship, the decathlon all happened as her time in East High expanded. But most importantly was Troy.

She shuddered as she remembered the worried look in his eyes as he approached them. No longer a child, he stood before them an adult with so much now weighing heavily on his shoulders. He stood unprotected and more alone than he had ever been in his life. Loosing everything that had kept him safe for so long, and ready to do battle with the devil within himself.

Taylor brought her out of her depressive thoughts with her singsong voice,

"Gabi, don't sweat it. Graduation will come and everythings going to be fine. We'll end up in going to college together. Besides I'm sure Troy will ask you out by then…"

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she stood up, brushing the grass of her skirt feeling slightly annoyed at her friends still insited that her and Troy were meant to be. Sharpay on the other hand, insistent hero worshipping of Troy, even after he had called it a day with their relationship.

"Honestly Taylor, Troy is not a god he is as human as you and I are. What makes you think I can just run up to him and pronouce my unending love just like that?"

She snapped her fingers as she walked more forceful up the hill towards the house, leaving Taylor to follow behind her.

"What makes you think he can't Gabi? You are so stubborn sometimes I swear. You love him, he loves you it fits perfectly. You're always denying him as an option. You're always belittling his strength and his power. Why can't you see he is more in love with you than you think…"?

Gabriella spun around almost knocking Taylor on her back as she pointed a finger at her best friends chest,

"Because Taylor he is a j-just Troy…just Troy. He is hot and strong and quick and clever…but he is still a man. A-And he's my best friend!"

Swallowing hard, Gabriella turned around and continued walking, as Taylor watched her with hooded eyes.

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"God this shirt is cutting into me, and the tie…the tie is, is, is…"

"STOP grumbling Chad you have it sitting crooked again...here let me help!"

Troy pushed Chad's flapping hands away from the shirt and bow tie he was trying to strangle, and within seconds had it sitting the way his was – neat under the chin and not in fear of choking him.

Chad looked at his reflection in the mirror of the bedroom and had to admit he looked pretty good.

"At least Mom let you pick my tux. God only knows what she would have put me in this time?"

"Dude don't sweat it. I'm sure you'll look good in a dress no matter what."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence man, could you not have told me that then, instead of making me go to the fuckin thing dressed like a girl?"

Troy laughed folding his hands across his chest,

"Nah man it was good to watch!"

As Chad was about to bite back with a comment, Mary Danforth called from the foot of the stairs announcing the girls had come in and the wedding was about to start.

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The Garden of the Danforth house was decorated in the subtle colors

Troy and Chad came into the garden and the bright sunlight as guests from both long lined families moved around under the canopy of flowers that had taken Taylor and Gabriella hours to design.

Troy and Chad laughed at the mischief, thankfully keeping out of it as their mother rolled up her sleeves of her Victorian gown and ran inside the house to retrieve some necessities. Looking across the guests Troy glanced briefly at Sharpay and nodded. He no longer felt the pang of guilt which, had settled in his stomach after he ended their brief relationship.

He was glad she didn't hold it against him either and had moved on with her now leading man of attention, Zeke Baylor who flitted around her like an annoying bee – hanging onto her every word, well she did want someone who would give her all the attention she needed as well as bow to her every wish.

That's when he saw Gabriella…

He hadn't spoken to her since his arrival, because as soon as he had stood foot inside the house he had been drawn into the perplexed understanding of a bow tie and it's many uses by Chad and she had already escaped to go for a walk,

He felt a strange stirring in his chest as he looked at her engaged in a humorous conversation with both Mike and Jason. Her hair was pilled high on top of her head showing off her swan neck thin and graceful as she nodded and smiled at them. The girls who where bridesmaid's to the bride, including Chad's sister Michelle had identical dresses in gold but somehow Gabriella's looked like a second skin. He blinked a couple of times and she laughed throwing her head back as the loose tendrils of her hair flowed down her back. Troy was lost in seeing his friend looking breathtaking.

"What are those two up too?"

Troy shook himself physically as he swallowed hard, looking at Chad frantically as if hoping he didn't look as love sick as he felt,

"W-who?"

"Jason and fuckin Mike, you'd think they never saw Erika in a dress before?"

Chad had a dark scowl across his face and the mood of thunder…and still the unresolved issue of 'tension' hung in the air.

"Chad why don't you just go over and say something to her, tell her how you feel?"

Chad shook his head, burying his hands into his trouser pockets,

"I can't Troy…I just can't!"

Troy turned to look at his friend incredulously,

"What do you mean you can't?"

Shuffling his feet on the ground Chad looked everywhere but Troy's inquisitive eyes,

"Well I mean it has been what a long time and I really don't think she likes me that way anymore…"

Troy was about to speak when Chad finished.

"Besides…there is Taylor…"

"What do you…Taylor? You mean you and…Taylor Mckisse…"

"SSSHHH, don't talk so loud. I mean nothing's happened between us. It's just…I don't know Troy she really likes me and she pays attention to me when I go on about basketball and just, she makes things for me…"

Troy could feel himself bottling with laughter and only barely held it together as he heard his friend going on about the very smart but deeply spiritual Taylor who had become part of the gang since the musical.

"Well, I hope you two are happy Chad, but that still doesn't resolve the issue with Erika?"

Chad nodded looking across the lawn at her now frantic waving at them as she approached,

"I do like her Troy, but I don't think we will ever be together…not the way I want it to be. Someday she will make someone happy…"

He smiled as she faced them,

"Hello Gabriella?"

Her eyes twinkled with merriment at his formal greeting,

"Hello Chad!"

She lifted her face as she smiled at him before turning her attention to Troy her smiled seemed to grow wider along with a different look,

"Hi Troy?"

For the second time that day Troy visibly swallowed,

"Hi Gabriella…"

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**yay chapter one done. i have chapter 2 and itll get posted shortly**


	2. Chapter 2

**no reviews:( anyways ill just update for the fun of it **

**Chapter 2:**

With Gabriella the awkwardness never stretched too far and as she unfolded her hands, the music started playing to signal the beginning of the ceremony.

"Well, shall we all proceed to our places?"

A Flowered bouquet appeared in her hands as Michelle came from behind Chad,

"Come on big brother lets go and see Bryan make the worst mistake of his life!"

Grabbing his arm she half yanked half dragged Chad to where Helene was standing along with Claire and one of her male French cousins. Which left Troy and Gabriella looking at each other waiting. Coughing he bent his elbow indicating that she should take it.

"W-Well shall we, no use holding everyone else up?"

He could have sworn she blushed slightly as she placed her arm in the gap he had left and linked them together.

"Let's do it, I have never been to a French wedding before…"

They walked towards the others as the music picked up it's tempo and Helene flanked by her mother and father proceeded up the grass aisle towards the front where Bryan Danforth, ready as he could ever be, watched with a smile on his face as his soon to be Bride approached him. Troy looked around the array of strange looking people.

He didn't see the shocked look she gave him as they walked down the aisle behind Michelle and Chad, nor did he see the thoughtful look that followed as she smiled and looked away. Taken their positions on either side of the Bride and Groom the wedding ceremony began.

Fireworks ended the wonderful day and everyone sat around in the firelight from a thousand lanterns as fireflies buzzed all around them. Bryan and Helene had flown to their honeymoon on a tropical island care of her parents as a wedding present. Taylor had sent of her brother an hour ago and was now warm by the fire thankful to take the bridesmaid dress off and now in jeans and a t-shirt, leaving Gabriella's in her's but was too comfortable to join her.

She had been daydreaming in the embers of the fire and hadn't noticed that she was being watched from across the garden hidden in shadow.

Troy was in a confused state. He watched Gabriella by the roaring fire in the garden as the light of it illuminated her face and danced along the shadows of her eyes, with emotions stirring in his chest that had no place being there. Chad had enlightened him with where he stood with her – Taylor had taken the space where Gabriella had occupied for the last few years, so where did that leave him? And why was he now so concerned?

He hadn't known her for to long, but she was an integral part of his life like Chad. Both had been his strength throughout the year at East High but where Chad's friendship had faltered at times, Gabriella's was always there behind him keeping him grounded. He could say of all the people he knew – she was the fearless one. She had stood up to some many girls of the most feared at East High for what she believed in. Made sure he was always pointing in the right direction with juggling the musical and basketball. Bossed him when he wasn't particularly bothered about handing in his homework's…and yet all through this he had thought of her only as a friend.

So why was he now looking at her like it was the first time he had ever laid eyes on her, while at the same time thinking she was some sort of forbidden fruit – that once touched he would be cursed for the rest of his life?

Gabriella was lulled by the flames flicking around the edges of the wood that was piled high on the fire that had long since lost their shape and where slowly folding under the embers that burned in orange and yellow. It had been a lovely day, marred slightly by Bryan feeling incredibly weak and needing to sit down, bringing to attention why he was injured and what sacrifice was highly paid as he lived

Seeing Troy again always made it so much harder, made Gabriella painfully aware of her abundance of feelings. But both were so keen to keep their relationship strictly friends, nothing more. The very thought made her stomach knot in a million twists. She wanted to be more than his best friend, she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't. Every time she looked upon his sapphire eyes, she could tell that he was fighting an inner battle. His feelings, for the first time, were unreadable. But she was growing irritable with it. It was torture to feel this way, to have him touch her, treat her like he actually liked her, then hear those dreaded, stupid words, my best friend.

Things were getting more and more awkward between them. And it wasn't a bad thing, it was just more than Gabriella could handle. He had almost kissed her, several times now, but she had to keep up with the act, proving to him that she could play his game also, had to pretend they were just friends. And he seemed all right with it, so why did it just annoy her?

She'd see him again, and he'd undoubtedly touch her, force the blush on her cheeks, and smile and call her his friend. If he wasn't careful she was going to make him eat that very word.

A smile crept up and she couldn't help but laugh at herself. It was all quite silly getting so worked up about it.

The last time they parted the hug alone was enough to prove it. But it was getting old, and she needed more. But that meant dropping the facade and letting it all out. Something she didn't think either was ready to face. Troy hadn't let her talk about it yet, always changing the subject, always reminding her they couldn't go there. But they both knew that was a lie. Things were different, and he had to know she knew better.

Gabriella's problem, she worried like a mother, like a sister, like a friend…like a…

She didn't know how else she worried all she knew is she did passionately, reverently and with so much fear it choked her at night when she tried to lie down and sleep.

Rest did not come forth willing – hours where spent going over her thoughts and feelings.

She would not fail him, not again. She could sense that he needed her, and by announcing her love would just make matters worse.

Sighing more into herself than anything else, she looked up from her trance of the fire and straight into the eyes of Troy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah umm I have a lot of stories going on but I wanna update this ff now. I think this story is very confusing so I'll try and explain it in the other chapters.**

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**Chapter 3**

'Books and intelligence' that's all she had ever known. Hormones were a distraction - she found that out to her cost her big time. She was never successful in actually getting a date.

Admittedly she herself did fall prey to jealousy and frustration of wanting to get the attention of a man. At the time her need was to have Zac Bryson at least do something to indicate he actually liked her. Zac, her old crush from her old school. She had suffered his jealous bouts and angry taunts long enough to know he liked her…well in some sort of crazy mixed up way.

Being friends with someone as long as she had, Gabriella had understood that Zac was just not forthcoming with words, but more of an action type of guy. Except his actions where on the other end of Jessica Brown's lips and that had thrown her into a rage of dreadful proportions. Rachel had been witness to this and had found it both shocking and amusing. It hadn't quietened down her temper and she knew then she was just as bad as the rest of them.

Hormones, now who had thought of that ailment in life's greatest mystery? What sick scientist had thought of that word to describe the physical changes in a person's body that made them become something close to a nethanderal in men and a neurotic soppy wet sponge in a woman?

Always one to understand theories and possibilities that circled the great universe, in which she inhabited did nothing to dispel that she was hopeless when it came to the male species.

Arriving at the Danfoths for Bryan and Helene's wedding was to be a place where maybe she and Taylor could talk out what exactly happened between her and Zac. To get rid of her thoughts of him. For three days he had continued just as before, speaking to her like she was another part of the furniture, his best friend – the girl with the books and the intelligence, but other than that…nothing!

Her frustration was that he wouldn't even talk about it, used every possible excuse to avoid going for a walk, saying he needed to do some preparation for the speech he would be giving at the wedding. Which was almost laughable because Zac did not prepare for anything, he never showed up.

So she had spent the days on her own, or in the company of Taylor who wanted nothing better to do that nonsense on about her latest boyfriend, seeing as Troy no longer was the object of her affection or infatuation, or whatever it was she felt about him. Reading was her relieve, her strength, and her comfort.

Troy?

A puzzled frown marred her brow as she rubbed it absently. His arrival meant that what little she saw of Zac now seemed actual company compared to the hushed speaking and closing of the boy's bedroom door. She didn't even get the chance to say hello to him herself before the drama that Zac had got himself into was more important.

She had however duly noted that Troy looked at her as he was pulled up the stairs by Chad, and smiled as he did so and that is when she felt slightly off kilter.

Gabriella smiled at Troy, and Troy smiled back? Seemed perfectly normal…

They had been smiling at each other as soon as they laid eyes on one another; there was nothing wrong with that. It was like a greeting between them always followed by a 'Hello' and yet…

It felt different, it felt weird…it felt…hard to describe how it felt when she didn't even know herself.

Feelings for Zac had not been complicated. She knew Zac had liked her for years and that was safe, secure, constant, normal.

Troy and her feelings towards him had always been friendship, loyalty, caring, worrying…and now she was depressing herself. She sounded like the typical description of a mother hen to her chicks!

Was that how he had ever seen her, his mothering friend, the worrier? Was that why so many of the girls in school made fun of her?

"Watch out here comes Gabriella, Troy Bolton's conscience!"

She had never been one to listen to idle gossip or to examine the mocking looks that where always thrown her way. It was bad enough she still got blamed for the failing relationship between himself and Jessica and how if it hadn't been for her interference in his life, there might have been another successful relationship.

When he started dating Jessica she was very happy for them both, it was what he needed. A distraction in what was going on at the school. It left her to try and work out the tangled mess that she found herself in with Zac. But alas as it was pointed this is why she was sitting here now a day after the wedding, under a shady oak with her books as her comfort and no beau on her arm.

Which brought her right back to Troy and what the hell was going on?

She had looked up last night out of her warm daydream and straight into his eyes as he watched her. Not too far away that she could outline his features like drawing with chalk as he stood beside the willow, his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the tree. He had changed so much over the summer since school finished with an air of finality. Gone was the childish look that had followed him since they first meet, to be replaced by a more defined outline in his features. He looked taller too his body had developed muscle where scrawniness had always been and his arms strong and taunt from keeping himself fit either from basketball.

The young sixteen year old that had left them that day, still looked the same…but something had changed in both of them.

Closing her eyes, Gabriella uncrossed her legs from the position she had been in and spread them out in front of her crossing her ankles as she leaned back more into the tree.

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**please leave a little review thanks**

**Sam**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Troy was woken to the dull thumping from downstairs, indicating that everyone was up, except him. Stretching he reached for his phone and placed it back on the nightstand. A warm breeze drifted in from the open window and the smell of buttercups and fresh grass made him smile. Today was his birthday he was seventeen. It was already turning out to be a good day as he sprung from his bed and padded towards the window.

The sun shone well overhead of the house casting part of the garden in it's towering shade, but on the other side where the small brook meandered through the clump of tress it still beamed it's heat, and sitting on the bottom of one of those trees he could make out the outline of Gabriella.

He didn't have to be up close to know Gabriella was sitting reading as she always did when she was looking for peace and quiet. When at school she would escape to the Library to spend hours in amongst the dusty books, loosing herself in yet another fascinating insight to the historical workings of such a fine old institute. It didn't bother him that she did this, it was after all Gabriella – and wherever books where, Gabriella was sure to follow.

He smiled at that thought as he stood looking at her, she was wearing another dress again and he could see her legs tucked under it as she turned yet another page. A subtle something that told him she was not just his friend anymore, but also a very attractive one.

So wrapped up in protecting everyone. Gabriella was just as stubborn as Chad when it came for them to go with him. She had argued he needed their friendship and strength, who was he to shout her down. Truth be told he hoped they would continue on with the journey, It would give him a chance to think of his feelings and what they meant, now that Chad was out of the picture.

"Troy, Troy, you awake…? Your Dad wants us all together for a meeting!"

Steeling one last glance at Gabriella as Taylor approached her across the garden, he smiled and proceeded to get dressed on Chad's persistent shouting for him to hurry up.

The East High Wildcats, coached by Jack Bolton. The team has been falling apart lately and some of the team members were deciding on leaving the team.

Jack Bolton looked exhausted having to decide the meeting in the early hours when all the ciaos had broken out. Many team players were missing. A war was raging and everyone was against each other. It was his idea that the team should find a summer job that could fund their basket ball team.

Gabriella paced around the garden until she found a suitable place to vent out her frustration and pain.

"Why are you doing this?"

Tears that for days, months, weeks had threatened to break the surface, now weakened by sleepless nights took their toll and they rolled down her cheeks unabashed and unchecked.She gasped holding her hand to her mouth as she thought her words out loud. Everyone cared about him; he was the basket ball star 'The Play Maker' and yet she could only see beyond the labels they used for him, to the young man so lost and alone. In her dreams she would go to him and plead that he would run away, far away from all of this and not come back. To be safe, to be protected.

But his answer would always be the same,

'I can't Gabriella, my place is here to …'

And so her dreams would chase each other around, ending the same way they began.

"Everyone is wondering where you went off too?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice quickly wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"O-Oh Troy, um I-I just needed time alone to think."

He was standing beside the fallen tree she was sitting on, his hands in his pockets watching her closely, 

"You usually don't think when you're crying Gabriella?"

His voice was unusually quiet as he spoke. Before girls tears would have thrown him into a panic as to what was the nature of the leaking. Years had passed now since his first encounter with an overflowing Becky and he had got more or less used to this being something a girl did.

"I-I…it's nothing really. U-um I'll just go and get ready to leave then…"

She got up to go towards the house, only to have Troy grab her arm as she tried to step passed him. His hand was gentle on her bare arm the slightest of pressure and her resolve weakened again.

"You've never been good at lying to me Gabriella…"

Biting her lip she forced her eyes to meet his as he held her there. Swallowing the lump that was lodged in her throat as she saw curiosity mixed with something else in their blue depths.

"I may be the w-worlds worst liar ever Troy! But at least I'm not the one whose throwing away friendship just for some stupid college scholarship to a school you don't even want to attend!"

Troy felt her pain laced with anger directed at him seeping through to his bones, and counteracted without flinching,

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"That no matter what you're determined to carry on this 'I need to please everyone who don't count'!"

Fresh tears came forward and rolled down her cheeks and this time she didn't stop to wipe them away as she continued,

Troy pulled her into his arms and muffled the sound of her cries into his chest, as he rubbed her back absently. Closing his own he allowed her anguish to wash over him.

"You're not on your own T-Troy, why must you be the one who has to go c-charging into the night to save us all?"

Troy had lifted her face from his now sodden tee shirt to look pleadingly into his eyes,

He smiled faintly as he wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs,

"I'll never be on my own, not when I have a friend like you,"

He could feel it in his chest, the same emotion he had experienced before upon seeing her when he arrived. That same stirring of blood rushing to his head and echoing in his ears as he looked at her. Could feel the coolness of her skin next to the heat of his fingers.

"Troy, Gabriella are we going or what?"

Chad called from the back door looking at both of them curiously as they sprung apart as if hit by lightening, and now stood staring at each other.

"We're just coming!"

Troy called over his shoulder in the general direction Chad was, but didn't make an attempt to move. Gabriella rubbed her hands up her arms that were lined with goose bumps,

"I suppose we should go?"

Her voice had taken on a huskiness he had never heard before, as her brows drew together in a bow. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up in awareness as he simply nodded. She moved once again to go past him and he reached for her arm again. They stood looking at each other as seconds past them by, before Troy reluctantly let her go. 


End file.
